From owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Jun 12 05:53:05 2012 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [69.147.83.52]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 156CC106566C for ; Tue, 12 Jun 2012 05:53:05 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from daniel@digsys.bg) Received: from smtp-sofia.digsys.bg (smtp-sofia.digsys.bg [193.68.3.230]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6B05D8FC0C for ; Tue, 12 Jun 2012 05:53:04 +0000 (UTC) Received: from [192.92.129.101] ([192.92.129.101]) (authenticated bits=0) by smtp-sofia.digsys.bg (8.14.5/8.14.5) with ESMTP id q5C5qo2R004220 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=AES128-SHA bits=128 verify=NO); Tue, 12 Jun 2012 08:52:52 +0300 (EEST) (envelope-from daniel@digsys.bg) Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v1278) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 From: Daniel Kalchev In-Reply-To: <4FD68245.4090207@swin.edu.au> Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2012 08:52:51 +0300 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Message-Id: <42B15F36-195D-44E0-AF3A-0EE815548620@digsys.bg> References: <201206020012.q520CEcf057568@hugeraid.jetcafe.org> <20120602004230.GA14487@in-addr.com> <201206040224.q542OBqk085897@hugeraid.jetcafe.org> <20120604043233.GB32597@lonesome.com> <201206040841.q548fVHa091169@hugeraid.jetcafe.org> <201206041841.q54IfUow001060@hugeraid.jetcafe.org> <20120604191343.GF10783@isuckatdomains.isuckatdomains.net> <201206041932.q54JWONA001600@hugeraid.jetcafe.org> <4FCDA15C.2000700@digsys.bg> <201206061859.q56IxvLx045828@hugeraid.jetcafe.org> <90425E82-5475-491F-AE88-00B0774F058D@ultra-secure.de> <201206112320.q5BNKXWO029603@hugeraid.jetcafe.org> <4FD68245.4090207@swin.edu.au> To: grenville armitage X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.1278) Cc: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Documenting ports options (was Re: Why Are You NOT Using FreeBSD ?) X-BeenThere: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Production branch of FreeBSD source code List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2012 05:53:05 -0000 On Jun 12, 2012, at 2:41 AM, grenville armitage wrote: >=20 >=20 >> Rainer Duffner writes: > [..] >>> Personally, I don't need more frequent FreeBSD-releases but two or >>> maybe three ports-tree freezes per year would be good. >=20 > Perhaps not so much freezes per se, but if there are particular > dates at which the ports tree is known to compile properly (for > some preferred definition of 'properly') those dates could be > kept in a list somewhere, for people to use with the cvsup > "date=3D" option? I believe the reason this is not happening is that there is no date, = when the ports tree does build all ports "just fine". Some of the ports = are not compilable if you compile other ports, or select certain options = in other ports as well. For example, you might have a date, when KDE4 compiles and runs, just = fine. But at the same date, you cannot say the same for say Gnome, or = science/meep (random pick). It is of course "doable". The reason nobody is doing it is because by = the time you have "stable ports tree" lots of software in there and more = importantly most of the mainstream software in there that sees active = development is already out of date and sometimes with unattached = security problems. There is a fundamental misconception of what the ports tree is. This is = not the "ready made" software, where you just user = portmaster/portinstall to add new software or you go to the port's = directory and type "make install". The ports tree is a collection of instructions how to build foreign to = FreeBSD software, plus the necessary infrastructure and few "common = sense" options and that is it. If you view it any other way, you are in = trouble. The "pick and install software" functionality does not really exist in = FreeBSD. The closest is to use packages and yet closer is the packaging = system found in PC-BSD that uses the Apple style "fat app" approach. It is more appropriate to view FreeBSD and ports as the tools to build = your own "OS" (in the sense that most people understand it) with = functionality, tuning and packages you need. Of course, the ports system can be improved and is in fact, all the = time. Daniel=